Locally-Made Paper & Craft to Preserve the Amazon

Summary

This project creates economic opportunities for the poor populations in Brazil's Para State by promoting sustainable use of the Amazon rainforest resources while helping to preserve them.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

In Pará State, deforestation is continuing due to urbanization, pasture creation and squatting activities. Small farmers clear forests for their farms, while others who move to cities seeking employment end up in slums. Large firms export raw forest resources outside the region, leaving few economic opportunities for the local poor. The project has given 50 pilot resource-processing jobs to the rural and urban poor, indirectly benefiting 200 people. It aims to grow.

How will this project solve this problem?

Establishing papermaking value chain and product promotion called Amazon Paper, starting from sustainable cultivation and extraction of fiber and dye in rural communities. Paper production uses the fiber in the city and craft-making in rural towns.

Potential Long Term Impact

The project will multiply the production chain of fiber and dye use of the Amazon rainforest, which creates 50 more skilled jobs for young and unemployed poor in the urban areas. It will promote "sustainable agriculture" among 20 pilot small farmers.

Project Message

“I had been working for a patron but lost my job. I didn’t know anything about paper. Now I know how to make them. Already I made various. It is like my new family. My life changed, completely.”
- Maria José Almeida, one of the project’s first trainees

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources